THERE are golden rules to the perfect roast chicken, and if you follow them you are more likely to be rewarded with a professional, delicious dish.
Here are a few guidelines:
- A chicken weighing 1.5kg will be ready after 1 hour 20 minutes in a 190ºC oven.
- Always leave the chicken to "rest" for 10-15 minutes before carving.
- Take the chicken out of the fridge one hour before putting in the oven.
- If you are not a seasoned cook, then don't bother to open the oven and turn or baste the chicken as it cooks. It is fiddly for a beginner, and the oven loses heat every time you open it.
INGREDIENTS:
1 free-range chicken, of about 1.5kg
150g garlic and herb soft cheese (a chevin or goat's milk is ideal)
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
500g small vine-ripened tomatoes
METHOD:
Heat the oven to 190ºC. Carefully loosen the skin of the chicken, then push the cheese under the skin and massage it down so that it completely covers the breasts and is pushed down to the legs.
Sit the chicken in a roasting tin, drizzle with the olive oil, then roast, undisturbed and uncovered, for 1 hour 20 minutes.
When the time is up, remove the chicken from the oven and the tin and leave to rest for 15 minutes.
While it is resting, toss the tomatoes in the roasting tin with the chicken juices and roast in the oven until the 15 minutes is up.
Serve the chicken in pieces with a few baked tomatoes, some of the pan juices and a green salad.
TIPS:
This recipe is Banting friendly (low carb, high fat diet) as made above but if you are not averse to carbs, serve it with fluffy mashed potatoes which will mop up the pan juices beautifully.